In the search for a healthier diet, we end up eating foods that appear to be beneficial to our health but, in reality, contain harmful ingredients. Products that promise to be "healthy" can actually be high in sugar, sodium, fat and preservatives. Here are eight examples of foods that seem h...

As we near the end of 2024, you might start to see an increase in nutrition advice. Diet scams reinvent themselves every year to cater to the newest trend, shape-shifting to fit the newest craze.

These changes can confuse nutritional information and your health. Here are some ways to spot nutrition myths and save time and money in the coming year.

First, note if someone suggests removing a food group from your diet. Suggestions such as don't eat carbs, don't eat fat or cut out all refined sugar should start to raise a flag. These ideas may come from wanting to help, but instead they leave you feeling like a failure.

Cutting out entire food groups is almost impossible and is not helpful or healthy. Removing food groups can also lead to disordered eating, nutrient deficiency, poor body image and overall diet dissatisfaction.

Second, find out where the information comes from. Interpreting nutrition science is tricky and cannot be explained in a short social media clip. It's why you should get your nutrition information from nutrition experts, a registered dietitian or work with your primary care provider.

Additionally, there are differences between a dietitian and a nutritionist. A registered dietitian has to get a specific undergraduate degree focused on nutrition science, complete a 1,200-hour internship and pass a national exam to achieve that title.

Third, watch out for buzzwords like detox, superfood, clean, cleanse and all-natural. These words do not tell us much about whether a diet improves overall health, but they are a clever marketing scheme to get you to buy into what they are selling. Words like these are used to make a diet sound exceptionally healthy but are intentionally vague and don't clearly define food or nutrition.

Fourth, if you start to feel confused and the person promotes a supplement or product, it's likely a sales pitch disguised as expertise. The better your understanding of nutrition, the less likely you are to buy specific products or supplements.

Overall, remember things specific to you regarding nutrition: Do you have the resources (time, money, accessibility) for certain foods? Do you enjoy eating this way? Is it increasing your quality of life?

Often, we don't consider our specific lifestyle when it comes to nutrition changes and will find ourselves left confused and wanting more when a new diet comes along that we can't stick to. Nutrition changes can lead to better overall health and well-being, so the next time you are out there looking for changes to make to your diet, save yourself the hassle by not falling prey to the trap that can be nutrition myths in disguise.